Safe and Snug for a Good Night’s Sleep

Ten Starred Hotels Including Five in Nusa Dua Fail to Get Safety and Security Certification from Bali Police.

(8/25/2013) Ten starred hotels in Bali have failed to fill safety and security verification standards issued by the Bali Police and the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI-Bali).

Quoted by the State News Agency Anatara, the chairman of PHRI-Bali, Cokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati, said there are still a couple (of hotels) that need upgrading (of their security) adding, "we will help them together with the Bali police."

Cokorda said the verification process is not limited to the lead up of the High Level Conference on Economic Cooperation Between Asia Pacific Nations (APEC) coming in October but will also be carried out in phases over the coming three years.

From a total of 26 four and five star hotels reviewed for security verification, only 16 have managed to be certified by the Bali Police.

Cokorda said from 13 hotels reviewed within the Bali Tourism Development Corporation Complex (BTDC) at Nusa Dua, 5 hotels slated to host official delegations have yet to win certification.

Police Commission R. Umarfaruq, who is in charge of security at vital tourism objects for the Bali Police, explained that the review of security standards for hotels looks at all relevant aspects, including equipment, staffing, training, local knowledge and cooperation from the surrounding communities.

Umarfarug explained: “There are several regulations from the Bali Police that have been combined with those of the Minister of Tourism and the Creative Economy concerning the management of security. Given Bali’s character as a tourism destination, we have strengthened (the standards) further by also including local knowledge.”

The expert in security from the Bali police explained further that the failure to pass the security verification process does not necessarily mean that only a few hotels have managed to meet the standard.

Continuing, he said those hotels considered to have fulfilled the standard for security management will be included in a coordinated network that include communication equipment, CCTV cameras and panic buttons that connect directly to other hotels and the Bali police headquarters’ tourist assistance center.

The police review of security standards also looked at the physical construction of the respective hotels and the services provided to guests.

Meanwhile, the failure of ten hotels to pass security verification has become of matter of urgent concern to Bali’s Governor Made Mangku Pastika.

The Governor said: “I am concerned if the situation is truly as depicted. In the near future hotels must be reminded not to regard issues of security lightly. If there is more training to be done, I hope it can be completed within one month."